Tabi'atstan
Tabi'atstan, officially known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of Tabi'atstan (USSRT), is a country located in the centre of the Toy Islands region. It is a unitary Stalinist single party state formed through the union of five Tabi'atstani socialist states after a succession of communist revolutions. The ruling party of the USSRT is the Communist Party of Tabi'atstan (CPT), which is also the only legal political party. At XXXX square kilometres, Tabi'atstan is the largest country in the Toy Islands, and also the most populous, with a population of 1,394,039,000 as of 2015. The capital city of Tabi'atstan is Qal'eh Manar, which is also the largest city in the country. The country shares its land and naval borders with Bordoris, Krakozhia, Muzaffaridistan, StarLand, the TBRE, Trevallyland and East Valreșia. The history of Tabi'atstan begins with the first human settlement of the country 12,000 years ago, and it is home to some of the world's most ancient civilisations. For most of the country's history, the political system was dominated by numerous imperial monarchies, with the first unified Tabi'atstani nation being formed by Shazada Farnavaz Kazemi. Following the Kazemostani Communist Revolution and the Tabi'atstani Civil Wars, the numerous empires were replaced by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of Tabi'atstan, or USSRT on the 28th November 1925. The USSRT was the first communist state to emerge in the Toy Islands. During the Second World War, Tabi'atstan fought against the Axis-aligned Laltofians, as well as suffering an invasion by the Empire of Japan. Following the victory of the Allies, the USSRT carved itself a sphere of influence, forming friendly communist governments in territory under military occupation by the Tabi'atstani Revolutionary Army. During the Cold War, Tabi'atstan attempted to maintain good relations with both China and the Soviet Union. CPT rule was challanged during the Second Tabi'atstani Civil War, although the government ultimately emerged victorious and was able to defeat rebel forces. Tabi'atstan has a mixed socialist economy, which has seen substantial growth since the implementation of reforms in the 1980s. Tabi'atstan's rich reserves of natural resources have helped it maintain an important role as a major exporter of oil and minerals. Tabi'atstan is a recognised nuclear state and possesses a large stockpile of weapons of mass destruction, although it has pledged to follow a policy of no first use regarding nuclear weapons. The country also has the region's largest standing army, and conscription is implemented. Tabi'atstan is a great power and a member of the United Nations and the Alliance of Toy Islands, as well as being the leading member of the Coalition of Communist States. History Pre-contact ancient history Archaeological evidence suggests that the first humans arrived in Tabi'atstan roughly 12,000 years ago, most likely crossing over from China by sea. The early Tabi'atstani peoples are thought to have primarily spoken proto-Iranian languages, and were predominantly of Indo-Iranian ethnicity. The largest ethnic group were the Tabi'amard, although other tribes such as the Ezbath and Kal'Vei did exist as well. The early Tabi'atstanis were also some of the first civilizations to build permanent settlements, and the oldest city in Tabi'atstan and the Toy Islands, Baru (now abandoned), is believed to have been founded circa 4000BCE. In 1561BCE, Shahzada Farnavaz Kazemi conquered several other tribes and kingdoms, resulting in the establishment of the first unified Tabi'atstani state. Kazemi's kingdom collapsed soon after his death, resulting in beginning of the War of Fragmentation, which lasted until 1412BCE. A severed drought occurred in the Toy Islands between 100-300CE which caused Tabi'atstani sailors to make frequent raids on what are now Grenatia, Toylando, and Southern Nordica in the TBRE to gather resources and set up colonies outside of the inhospitable Tabi'atstani desert climate. This culminated in the Ancient Drought Wars. Medieval history In 658CE, after the conclusion of the Maalganji Wars of Unification and the collapse of the Angari Kingdom, Shah Payami Maalganj founded the Grand Monarchy of Kazemostan. Shortly afterwards, in 718CE, the Chinese explorer Lü Mang discovered the Toy Islands, bringing in an influx of trade to the region. The Persianisation of Tabi'atstan also began after this event when the Buyids began sending colonists to the area, and by the 12th century, the Tabi'atstani continent was dominated by Persianate societies. In 726CE, the Tang government established the Protectorate General to Pacify Yingzhou to maintain order in its Tabi'atstani colony, with the Three Garrisons of Yingzhou being stationed there to support the military government. On the 29th May 1134, the Kingdoms of Xiaoyuan and Xinyue united to become the Empire of Great Liaotang (大辽唐) when King … of Xiaoyuan married Princess … of Xinyue. In 1181, a war began between the nomadic Jebtsa Empire and the newly formed Liaotangese Empire, which resulted in the destruction of the Jebtsa Empire in 1227. During the 13th century, the Tabi'atstani continent was severely affected by the Temayan conquests. By 1484, the Temayans had been completely pushed off of the Tabi'atstani continent, with the Kazemostani and Liaotangese empires returning as the two dominant forces in Tabi'atstan. In 1609, Tokugawa Hidetada of the Japanese Tokugawa shogunate invaded the Grand Monarchy of Kazemostan. However, following several defeats by Tabi'atstani forces, the Japanese forces were forced to retreat from Tabi'atstan in 1612. The First Kazemostani-Ardaristani War began in 1665 after the Kazemostani governor of southeast Tabi'atstan, Keyvan Ardar, declared his region's independence from the imperial government after a campaign between 1657 and 1665 where he destroyed the strength of the Pasheyvun tribesmen. This was to be the first of three wars between the Kazemostani and Ardaristani Empires. In 1723, Tsar Peter the Great of Russia negotiated the sale of land to the Russian Empire from the Kazemostani Empire, leading to the creation of three permanent Russian colonies in Tabi'atstan in what are now the Poseleniskaya and Kalengelsk provinces and Qal’eh Manar. In 1861, following attacks on several British and French merchant ships, the British and French Empires declared war on the Grand Monarchy of Kazemostan, claiming that the Kazemostani state had helped harbour and protect the pirates. Taking advantage of the weakened position of the Kazemostani Empire, in 1862 the United Kingdoms of Sweden-Norway forced the Grand Monarchy of Kazemostan to sign the Treaty of Gulzaran, which ceded the islands of Kälsvarike (then known as the Tanzab Islands) to Sweden-Norway. The war ended in 1864 with the signing of the Treaty of Bandar Behesht, which gave the British and French concessions in Qal'eh Manar. However, in 1867, Tsar Alexander II of the Russian Empire sold the Russian colonies in Poseleniskaya and Qal’eh Manar to the Grand Monarchy of Kazemostan, and the Russian colony in Kalengelsk to the Altani-Bajiristan Confederation. In an attempt to throw off foreign intervention in the country, Shah NAME of the Kazemostani Empire provided support for the Lion's Blade Militia, a proto-nationalist group, which ultimately resulted in the Lion's Blade Rebellion (1868-1891). The conflict ended with an invasion by various Western powers, and further concessions being granted in Qal'eh Manar. In 1904, the Empire of Japan declared war on the Empire of Great Liaotang, capturing the strategic ports of Nangang (July) and Biancheng (December). The war ended in 1908 after Japanese forces were eventually repulsed by Liaotangese troops. The Grand Monarchy of Kazemostan declared war on the German and Austro-Hungarian Empires on the 7th August 1917, marking its entry into the First World War. Both the German and Austro-Hungarian concessions in Qal'eh Manar were occupied on the same day. Formation On the 12th June 1923, the communist revolutionaries Leonid Sergeiyevich Ushakov and Farshid Khorosani led an uprising against the Grand Monarchy of Kazemostan. In the midst of the fighting Shahanshah Armand Shahin Nabavi attempted to escape but was shot by defecting government troops the next day just outside the capital. On the 15th June, Ushakov and Khorosani announced the Shah's death and proclaimed the creation of the Kazemostani Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Kazemostani SFSR). The resulting instability and communist uprisings throughout the continent sparked the Tabi'atstani Civil Wars. On the 28th November 1925 after the end of the civil war, the leaders of the different states of Tabi'atstan signed the Treaty of Qal'eh Manar, thus forming the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of Tabi'atstan, with Leonid Sergeiyevich Ushakov as its first President. The capital of the new state was Qal'eh Manar, which replaced the former Kazemostani capital city of Farnavazebad. Interwar era After the formation of the USSRT, Tabi'atstani-Soviet relations grew exponentially, with the two countries signing a Treaty of Friendship, Alliance, and Mutual Cooperation on the 30th April 1926. Stalin also gave Tabi'atstani engineers access to blueprints and designs of Soviet technical equipment. On the 5th May 1932, President Ushakov died of a stroke, and Farshid Khorosani replaced him as president the next day, on the 6th August 1932. On the 12th November 1934, Japan declared war on Tabi'atstan, with the conflict resulting in a decisive Tabi'atstani victory. During the war, Japanese forces committed numerous atrocities against both the military and civilian populations of the country. After the resignation of President Farshid Khorosani, Saveli Anatolyevich Mihaylov (1937-1962) was elected President of the USSRT. Mihaylov disgraced both Parvaiz Khoroushi and Dmitri Matveevyn Kozlov during his struggle for power, and both were later shot. Mihaylov also decided to take on the name of “Lyudin”, his nom de guerre before the formation of the USSRT. On the 25th March 1938, President Lyudin of Tabi’atstan and Marshal Stalin of the Soviet Union signed the Tabi’atstani-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Technological Alliance and Cooperation. World War II The USSRT declared its neutrality upon the start of the Second World War, and did not join the Allies even after a Japanese declaration of war against it on the 23rd November 1939. However, tensions increased between the USSRT and the TBRE over the disputed territory of Mersonn Island. Furthermore, the Laltofians believed that the Tabi'atstanis defensive strategy was a sign of weakness, and on the 2nd December 1940, TBRE forces crossed the disputed border at Mersonn, whilst Laltofian Confederation and Bordorian troops invaded through Krakozhia. By Christmas, TBRE forces had occupied the entire island of Mersonn, and Krakozhia was taken over by LC and Bordorian troops in August 1941. Laltofian successes continued until the Battle of Qal'eh Manar, after which they suffered major defeats resulting in the Tabi'atstani occupation of the TBRE, the signing of the Treaty of Rouzab, and peace treaties with Bordoris and the Laltofian Confederation. Cold War After the end of the Second World War, the Tabi'atstani Revolutionary Army occupied Györmár-Kazvhalia, Krakozhia, Trevallyland, East Valreșia, Kälsvarike, and Breiseland. Whilst Kälsvarike and Breiseland were incorporated into the USSRT as ASSRs, the Tabi'atstani government set up dependent socialist governments in the other states. In July 1955, Lyudin began the Great Tabi'atstani Purge, beginning a period of bloodletting and mass social upheaval, which resulted in the deaths of roughly 657,320 people in the USSRT. A new constitution was also approved that centralised government authority by replacing SSRs and ASSRs with provinces, remodelling the USSRT as a unitary republic. As tensions rose between the Soviet Union and China beginning in 1958, Lyudin continuously called for rapproachment between the two countries in an attempt to prevent a split in the socialist bloc. Nevertheless, he hinted that the Soviet Union was becoming too appeasing towards the West and that Mao's new brand of socialism was the way forward. However, Lyudin made sure not to directly attack the Soviet Union, ensuring a steady supply of Soviet aid. After Lyudin's death on the 27th November 1962, Fyodor Yemelyanovich Kozlov emerged as the new President of Tabi'atstan. Kozlov's rule is noted for its stagnation of the national economy, and he was replaced after one term in office by Kaveh Khoroushi. Khoroushi was thus left to deal with the effects of the 1967 Tabi'atstani drought and dust storms, which resulted in a highly reduced yield of grain. In 1983, Boris Dejanovich Yurenev was elected President of the USSRT by the Supreme Soviet. On the 26th May 1985, he was assassinated by an ultra-nationalist Bordorian group known as the Dragon's Forge in retaliation for TBRE President Arkov’s death in a terrorist attack. Foreign Minister Behri Ravad Soomekh was made interim President and a state of emergency was imposed. Soomekh began negotiations with President Patrick Helark of the TBRE to de-escalate the situation and eventually end the Cold War in the Toy Islands. In 1991, Tabi’atstani Ambassador to the TBRE Radomir Nazaryn Vedeneyev and President Farnell of the TBRE signed the Memorandum of Understanding Between the TBRE and the USSRT, thus ending the Cold War in the Toy Islands. Relations between the two nations quickly grew in a positive way, and new economic ties were soon fostered. Modern era On the 10th March 2000, the reformist President Yuri Sergeyevich Pashenko came to power, and he opened ties with many Western capitalist nations and paved the way for greater freedom of speech within the nation. On the 21st August 2000, during an emergency session of the Supreme Soviet, Pashenko proposed to dismantle the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of Tabi'atstan, resulting in a military coup supported by hardliners in the party on the 21st September. Pashenko was killed during the coup, with his death and the resulting power vacuum causing the Second Tabi'atstani Civil War. The war ended in May 2002, when the last of the rebels had been wiped out by the Tabi'atstani Revolutionary Army and the Tabi'atstani Revolutionary Guards, and consequently, the hardliner Louis Juk-Liu Chan was elected President of the USSRT and Chairman of the Tabi’atstani Communist Party in August 2003 after the March on Qal'eh Manar. In 2004, the USSRT intervened in the Trevallyland Civil War to prevent the fall of the socialist Trevallyland government. Embroiled in conflict against anti-government rebels in Trevallyland and still recovering from its own civil war, the USSRT was unable to stop the Loiwikese invasion of the Southern Toy Islands. In the same year, however, Tabi'atstani forces helped TBRE troops capture the international criminal Bladikoff. In 2006, the USSRT was also badly hit by the 2006 Tabi'atstani flu epidemic, which was caused by a strain of influenza A virus subtype H7N7. In 2012, the USSRT signed the Charter of the Coalition of Communist States with East Valreșia, Györmár-Kazvhalia, Krakozhia and Trevallyland to form the Coalition of Communist States (CCS). On the 4th July 2014, the USSRT declared war on NGL, a move that was soon followed by the other four CCS member states as well as Muzaffaridistan. The allied forces launched an amphibious invasion and the USSRT sent airborne troops to Needle City in the Can Cara province, held by the Parsahbiritese Liberation Front. The war ended in a victory for the Tabi'atstani-led Six-Nation Alliance (SNA), which forced NGL to fall back to the Crazon Line and cede its Eastern Strip and Thousand Island sectors to SNA control. In April 2015, the USSRT became involved in the war against ISIS, with Tabi'atstani troops being deployed to Iranian bases to fight ISIS troops. However, Tabi'atstani military intervention against ISIS remained limited to the Iraqi region of the conflict. On the 20th May 2016, the USSRT then declared that it would also intervene against ISIS in Syria, though the move occurred after Turkish troops allegedly burned 150 civilians in the city of Cizre. Tabi'atstani intervention has been accused of being focused on supporting Syrian government forces and countering Western and Turkish advancements in Syria rather than attacking insurgents. Politics The USSRT is one of the few remaining countries that still describes itself as communist, and is one of five socialist nations in the Toy Islands, with the Communist Party of Tabi'atstan (CPT) being the only legal party in Tabi'atstan. The official state ideology is Chan Juk-Liu Philosophy (陈彧潦哲学), a form of Stalinism with Tabi'atstani characteristics. Although attempts were made by President Yuri Sergeyevich Pashenko towards political liberalisation, such policies were abandoned after the 2001 Civil War. The election of President Louis Juk-Liu Chan in 2003 resulted in the return of a strong authoritarian style of government and a renewed crackdown on dissidents. Communist party The USSRT is led by the Communist Party of Tabi'atstan (CPT), which holds a monopoly on political power in the USSRT. The electoral system in the USSRT is hierarchical. On paper, local soviets are directly elected whilst all higher level organs are indirectly elected, but votes are easily manipulated by the state and party, and candidates running to be chairmen of local soviets are vetted by the government prior to being allowed to run for the position. The political system is highly centralised, with few checks on the communist party's power in the government. There are no other legal political parties in the USSRT other than the Communist Party of Tabi'atstan, and its power is enshrined in the Tabi'atstani Constitution of 2003. Government The President of the USSRT is the ceremonial head of state, and serves as a figurehead for the communist party. The Premier of the USSRT is the head of government, and is responsible for organising the Tabi'atstani civil bureaucracy. However, the Premier does not have command authority over the TRA, and is ranked lower than the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet and the Chairman of the Central Military Commission. The current President is Louis Juk-Liu Chan, who also holds the positions of Chairman of the CPT, General Secretary of the Politburo, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission. The current Premier is Sardar Arash Rahimi. Administrative districts Tabi'atstan is split into 36 provinces, 1 special municipality and 1 closed province. Foreign relations Although it is generally recognised as a great power, other than the occasional denounciation of US policy, the USSRT typically does not interfere in affairs outside of the Toy Islands region. However, a small number of politicians and scholars have suggested that judging by its military strength and its influence over many other Toy Islands states, the country is in fact either a superpower or a potential superpower. Opponents of this view cite the country's relatively weak economy and lack of soft power assets. The USSRT is a member of numerous different organizations, such as the Alliance of Toy Islands, a supranational union comprising the majority of Toy Islands nations, excluding Rhandona. It is also a founding member of the Coalition of Communist States (CCS), a political, economic and military organization akin to an amalgamation of the Warsaw Pact and Comecon. Since the start of the “Friendly Times” in 1991, the USSRT has tried to maintain amicable relations with its former enemy the TBRE. Relations have occasionally been strained over human rights abuses in the USSRT, but overall, relations are far better than they were in the Cold War. Relations with the Grand Western Commonwealth of Natural Green Land however, are quite poor. The USSRT supports numerous native insurgency groups fighting the NGL government, while NGL supports the People’s Mujahedin of Tabi’atstan in its attempts to overthrow the ruling communist party. Trade relations Tabi'atstani has close economic relations with the four other members of the Coalition of Communist States, East Valreșia, Györmár-Kazvhalia, Krakozhia and Trevallyland, with the Commissariat for Mutual Economic Cooperation (CMEC) of the organisation helping to facilitate trade between member states. Tabi'atstan also has close trade relations with China, Iran, and Russia. Territorial disputes The main international territorial dispute involving the USSRT is the disputed border between the USSRT and the TBRE on Mersonn Island. The long-standing dispute has historically been a source of conflict, including the Laltofian invasion of the USSRT in the Second World War. Judicial system and law enforcement The USSRT uses civil law with communist legal traditions, with the law branch of the government being the judicial branch. This consists of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, the Supreme People’s Court, military courts, maritime courts, forestry courts, criminal courts, civil courts and economic courts. The judiciary is part of the executive branch of the government, under the National Revolutionary People’s Assembly. Judges for the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, the Supreme People’s Court, military courts, maritime courts and the forestry courts are elected by the President and the Supreme Soviet, whilst judges for the criminal courts, civil courts and economic courts are elected by prefecture and city councils. Law enforcement in the USSRT is the responsibility of several different ministries. Although city level police do exist, they are all subservient to the Tabi'atstani Armed Police (TAP). City level police typically wear light blue clothing, and their vehicles are normally white with blue stripes or white with black stripes. The TAP is also responsible for law enforcement on a national level, and typically handle larger cases and cases that cross provincial borders, even though the USSRT is a unitary state. TAP members wear dark green military style uniforms, and have a wide range of vehicles, including armored vehicles and anti-aircraft weaponry. This is due to the fact that the TAP is meant to function as a militia in the case of a foreign invasion. Coast guard services are provided by the GKSB Maritime Border Troops, which possesses several large warships and numerous aircraft. The highest law in the USSRT is the 2003 USSRT Constitution, which lists the rights of USSRT citizens and also dictates how the nation is to be governed. Amendments to the constitution must be passed by the National Revolutionary People's Assembly. Sociopolitical issues Although major economic reforms occurred in the 1980s, and social freedoms were slightly relaxed, political freedoms have come under even stricter control of the government and the communist party. Although the current 2003 constitution promises freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of movement, the right to a fair trial and property rights as part of its list of "basic sapient rights", these rights are routinely ignored by the government, the CPT, and the judiciary of the USSRT, and as such, do not give significant protection to citizens from criminal prosecution by the state. Censorship is routinely used to block criticism of the ruling communist party, and the government has a large cyberwarfare force dedicated to blocking internet webpages considered "harmful to the sanctity of the socialist revolution". Government censorship has been described as the domestic arm of propaganda in the USSRT. The USSRT's human rights record is also very controversial and is the subject of much international criticism. Many Western governments, foreign press agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have condemned the government of the USSRT and the communist party for flagrant civil rights abuses, such as the use of torture to obtain confessions, the use of the death penalty for a wide range of criminal and political offences, the use of forced labour, and widespread detention of citizens without trail. The USSRT has also been accused of suppressing demonstrations against the government, and of using excessive force in such events. Dissidents in the USSRT are regularly tortured or arrested arbitrarily. Recently, the government has moved from arresting dissidents on political charges to accusing them of fabricated crimes such as theft and fraud to further discredit them. Although widespread purges of those deemed politically suspect have not occured in recent decades, the government security apparatus has shifted towards targeted attacks on specific opponents. Some dissidents are also exiled from the country or allowed to move abroad, helping to relieve pressure from the system. Citizens of the USSRT do not have the right to sell their properties and are not allowed to move to another household without registration to and permission from the government. Although this was originally due to a lack of housing, the system was later developed into another method for the Tabi'atstani government to track citizens movement. Despite the fact that internal passports are also in use, Tabi'atstani citizens generally have freedom to move throughout the country, although getting a permit to leave the country is considerably harder. In response to allegations of human rights abuses and other criticisms from foreign countries, the Tabi'atstani government has placed emphasis on the fact that living standards, literacy, and healthcare in Tabi'atstan have improved since the communist revolution. To deflect such criticisms, Tabi'atstani government officials frequently accuse Western countries of applying double standards to the USSRT, citing racial violence in the US, a lack of democracy in Western allies such as Saudi Arabia, and Western support for autocratic regimes such as that of the former Shah of Iran. Military The Tabi'atstani Revolutionary Army (TRA), numbering roughly 4.3 million active soldiers, is the largest military force in the region. The TRA is divided into three main arms, namely the Tabi'atstani Revolutionary Army Ground Force, the Tabi'atstani Revolutionary Navy, and the Tabi'atstani Revolutionary Air Force, and is commanded by the Central Military Commission of the USSRT. There are also several other independent arms of service, including the Tabi'atstani Strategic Missile Troops and the Airborne Troops. The regular armed forces are supported by numerous paramilitary groups, such as the Tabi'atstani Revolutionary Guards, the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the GKSB Border Troops. Conscription is enforced for all male citizens aged 18-30 and the published military budget is ТР$2.001 trillion (USD$258 billion). The training of conscripts typically lasts up to four and a half months, and another 32 weeks for a person who wishes to be part of a basic specialised unit. Special forces training can take up to five years, and applicants must have both served for at least five years in the military and passed an ideology test. The USSRT is a recognised nuclear state and has a stockpile of 1,882 nuclear weapons. The country also has numerous power projection tools including seven aircraft carriers, a large fleet of submarines, and a substantial number of strategic bombers and airlifters. Furthermore, the USSRT has the support of the four other member nations of the Coalition of Communist States as well as the Ba'athist Republic of Birshatar and the Islamic Republic of Muzaffaridistan, and supports insurgent groups in numerous countries, including those that operate within the borders of its main regional rival, NGL. Military service has been an important tradition in Tabi’atstan since the formation of the first feudal kingdoms in the nation, partially due to the constant warring nature of its Teddy neighbours in the past. As such, the TRA has been used in a secondary manner as a way to develop national loyalty in younger members of the population by invoking romantic imagery of national heroism and past martial glories alongside loyalty to the communist party. This slightly more nationalistic public image has been found to be more successful in instilling loyalty than the customary political indoctrination referring to international socialism, and is more in line with the current government ideology, which promotes a blend of nationalistic social and foreign policy with socialist economics. To overcome the logistical problems of importing equipment from distant countries and to circumvent potential foreign embargoes, Tabi'atstan has a well developed defence industry that primarily manufactures license-produced equipment. Th country also produces indigenous designs, such as the Pasdar-class submarine and Puyandegan missiles. Geography The USSRT is the largest country in the Toy Islands in terms of area, and sits on five main tectonic plates, with the main Tabi'atstani island being considered a continent in its own right. It is surrounded by the Torbad Sea, the NAME Sea, the NAME Sea, the NAME Sea, and the NAME Sea. Tabi'atstan has Xkm of coastline and a land area of Xkm2. The size of the USSRT lends it a wide variety of landscapes, with deserts dominating the majority of the central and southern areas. Large tropical rain forests stretch throughout the eastern provinces, whilst the northwestern regions are known for their snowy tundra environment. The three far northeastern provinces are covered with temperate forests. Tabi'atstan contains large reserves of natural resources, particularly oil and metals. Large deposits of precious and semiprecious minerals can also be found in the country's numerous mountain ranges. However, the large Tabi'atstani deserts mean that there is comparatively little arable land, with much of it also being in danger of desertification. Climate Although the majority of the country is composed of deserts, the climate and landscape is extremely varied, ranging from the Arshad mountain ranges in the northeast to the rainforests of Jangalstan province. The southwest is dominated by steep grass covered hills, making it suited for terrace rice farming. The two main rivers are the Zard and Syrost rivers. Biodiversity Owing to its large size and highly varied environment, the USSRT has an extremely high biodiversity, with scientists estimating it to have some 2,017,300 different species of animals and vascular plants, with many species being endemic to the country. Tabi'atstan has a wide range of forests, with cold coniferous forests dominant in the northwest of the country. Subtropical and tropical forests are prevalent in the eastern half of the mainland. Environmental concerns Since the late 1970s, pollution and environmental degredation have become serious concerns in the USSRT, with environmental laws being poorly enforced and regularly ignored in favour of meeting industrial and agriculture quotas. However, recognising that environmental problems were becoming a serious issue in the country and around the world, the government of the USSRT has made efforts to protect the environment starting in 2011, with several programs being introduced to achieve goals set by the government. Economy The economy of the USSRT is a command economy based on five-year plans. Food and housing are heavily subsidised, whilst education and healthcare are free. Most citizens are exempt from income tax, due to their salaries being considered as net of any taxes, but self-employed citizens are subject to income tax. Furthermore, before becoming employed to work in jobs outside government employment, citizens are required to buy licenses from the government for such jobs. Since the beginning of economic reforms starting in the last years of the Cold War, Tabi'atstan has followed a twin-track system of opening some sectors of the economy to the international market whilst applying protectionist policies to others. In 1984, the government of the USSRT, recognising the need for economic revitalisation, decided to implement reforms such as giving small cash incentives for peasants and workers whose collectives or factories produced more than the state quota, opening up the country to tourism and liberalising the agriculture industry to allow farmers to sell above-quota production at free market prices. Furthermore, the government encouraged citizens to start small privately-owned enterprises to produce consumer goods, as state factories focused mainly on heavy industry and military production. This resulted in a moderate level of economic growth that brought the country out of economic stagnation and has allowed it to stay strong economically to this day, rather than collapse like the Soviet Union did in 1991. Other economic reforms include changes in worker incentives. Previously before 1984, the wages of industrial workers were low and working hours were extremely long. Furthermore, there were few consumer goods to buy with the wages they earned, and any consumer goods that were produced locally were typically of low quality. However, after the reforms, increased wages for increased productivity were introduced and skilled workers were more highly paid than unskilled workers (this was also an attempt to give people an incentive for achieving a higher level of education. However, the system of punishment for absenteeism and laziness remained. After the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding Between the TBRE and the USSRT in 1991, specialist advisors from the TBRE were invited into the USSRT to help develop the high-tech and computer industries in the country. Quite unusually for a communist country, certain small private enterprises were allowed since the start of the revolution, although these were limited to family businesses such as restaurants or shops with less than five branches. Apart from the Tabi'atstani Rouble, Foreign Exchange Certificates (FECs) were also previously used in the USSRT. Tabi'atstani FECs were pegged to the TBRE Tolar, with one Tabi'atstani FEC being the equivalent of one TBRE Tolar. By law, all Tabi'atstani citizens had to convert any western currencies that they possessed into FECs, which could then be used at certain shops selling western goods. The dual-currency system was abolished in 2004. Infrastructure Energy The majority of Tabi'atstani energy is provided by coal and nuclear powerplants, although there are also a significant number of natural gas electrical plants. In 2011, the government began a program to build large solar farms in the central desert provinces. Being somewhat technological backwards, Tabi'atstani power generation facilities require a comparatively large degree of manual control, and are not connected to state or international intranet or internet networks. Housing Housing in Tabi'atstan is free, with each "family" being given a housing unit, with the size of this unit corresponding to the size of the family. This system both ensures that space is used most effectively, helping to prevent housing shortages, and also aids the government in keeping track of its citizens. Citizens are not allowed to sell these properties due to the fact that they are technically owned by the government, and moving from one housing unit to another without proper registration from the government is a punishable crime. Due to the fact that a large proportion of the population is Muslim, bathrooms in most government houses have a combination shower and bathtub, as Muslims believe that one must be fully immersed in water to be ritually cleansed. Transportation Since its formation, the USSRT has placed great emphasis on transportation, with a large network of highways and railways spaning across the country. Due to the comparatively low level of private car ownership, the country's state-run public transportation networks have become some of the best in the world out of neccessity, and are also some of the busiest in the world. Railways and buses are the most popular forms of transport within the country, although there are also a large number of small regional airports dotted throughout the USSRT, with domestic air travel being cheap compared with other countries. However, international air travel is subject to harsh restrictions and in contrast with domestic flights, is very expensive. Science, Technology and Research Historical The Tabi'amard people were some of the first to build permanent settlements in Tabi'atstan, with the oldest discovered village dating back to around 8,900BC. This was also the first instance of agriculture on the Tabi'atstani continent, with the Tabi'amard growing and harvesting grasses for food. They were soon followed by tribes such as the Ezbath and the Kal'Vei. Modern era Since the founding of the USSRT, science and technology research has been an important part of government policy, with roughly US$110 billion being spent on scientific research and development in 2011. The communist government of the USSRT considers science and technology to be vital to the improvement of the nation, with research typically being related to either the agricultural, industrial, or military sectors. Research funds are acquired via the Ministry of Science and Technology, giving the government a high level of control over the scientific progress of the country. The Tabi'atstani space program is one of the most advanced in the region. On the 11th June 1961, the USSRT launched its first satellite into orbit, called Exploration, which was based on the Soviet Sputnik 1 design. The satellite was launched from a Red Victory 1 rocket, the design of which was based on one of the USSRT’s ICBM designs. Gavril Isayev became the first Tabi'atstani cosmonaut to go to space on the 19th July 1967. Demographics Ethnic groups Tabi'atstan has eighty-six officially recognised ethnic groups, with the three largest being the Persians/Tabi'amard, Han Chinese and Russians, which in total comprise 68.1% of the population. According to the 2014 state census, ethnic minorities account for the remaining 31.9%. The majority of indigenous ethnicities in Tabi'atstan speak Indo-Iranian languages, although there are exceptions to this. Languages Although there is no single lingua franca in the USSRT, most Tabi'atstani citizens are able to speak either Farsi Persian, Standard Chinese or Russian, as well as possibly another local language or dialect, with multilingualism being very common. Because of this, the country does not have an official language per se, with each province selecting one or several languages as its provincial official language. However, most provinces include one of the three major languages listed above as one of their official languages. Apart from Farsi, Mandarin and Russian, English is also a commonly spoken language in the USSRT, and is an official language in several provinces. Education Prior to the formation of the USSRT, schools were rare and prohibitively expensive, meaning that typically only the rich were able to afford an education, and that most of the poor peasant class that made up the majority of the population were illiterate. After the formation of the USSRT, the government began a literacy program that sent literacy workers and teachers to the far corners of the country, even to small villages. Currently, the USSRT has one of the best literacy rates in the world, standing at over 99%. Health Health care in the USSRT is free and provided for by the People's Healthcare Service under the Ministry of Health, with the right to free healthcare and access to medical institutions being enshrined in the country's constitution. Since the 1930s, the USSRT has invited foreign medical experts to the country to help develop the healthcare system in the country. The USSRT has begun developing a preventative medical healthcare system, meaning one that focuses on preventing disease rather than disease treatment, and since 2011, the Ministry of Health has trialed telecare and telehealth systems for the elderly and the physically disabled. Although exact figures have not been published, the Ministry of Health has stated that the preventative healthcare system currently in place has helped the state save billions of dollars from state reserves. Although a large portion of the population practices Shia Islam, alcoholism has been a problem since the 1950s, and has been blamed for occasional drops in productivity in workplaces such as factories and collective farms. Religion The majority of Tabi'atstani citizens are either Shia Muslims, Roman Catholics or Eastern Orthodox Christians, although there are also a wide number of adherents to other religions. Although a communist state, religion has mostly been tolerated throughout the history of the USSRT, although under the reign of Lyudin, religious practice was discouraged. Since the reign of Lyudin, the Tabi'atstani government has recognised that patriotic religious institutions with ties to the government can be useful tools, and has moved to return religion to the national agenda, provided that it remains under the supervision of the state. A poll conducted by the Ministry of Culture and Ethnic Affairs in 2014 found that 36.8% of the population are Shia Muslims, 14.2% are Eastern Orthodox Christians, 7,6% follow traditional Chinese folk religions or Daoism, 6.8% are Roman Catholics, and 23.2% are athiests or are not religious. Culture Tabi'atstan has a highly varied multi-ethnic culture that is ostensibly based around the idea of peaceful coexistence of the nations different ethnicities and the memory of the communist victory over the Laltofian invasion during the Second World War. However, since 2003, the official government tone has became overtly nationalistic, and particularly sympathetic towards the Russian, Chinese, and Persian/Tabi'amard cultures in Tabi'atstan. In the immediate aftermath of the Lyudin era of Tabi'atstan, the country remained closed off to Western cultural influences. However, beginning in the 1980s, the communist government opened up culturally to the West, relying on traditional Tabi'atstani cynicism and xenophobia to prevent the spread of such influences from being accepted in mainstream Tabi'atstani culture (although any political works or commentary were still banned or censored). By the end of the 1990s, Tabi'atstan was for more open to Western culture than other socialist states, with the exception in the Toy Islands of Trevallyland. Such a policy continued even after the Second Tabi'atstani Civil War. Modern Tabi'atstani culture combines a mix of the experimental and free ideals in social and cultural life of the Ushakov and Khorosani eras, traditional conservative elements from the three major ethnic groups of the country (Chinese, Russians, and Persians/Tabi'amard), and certain aspects of Western popular and high culture. Visual arts After the colonisation of Tabi'atstan by Persian and Chinese settlers, Tabi'atstani artists copied their techniques. Although Tabi'atstani painters such as Adiz Mehry Farahani had been weaving carpets and using bright colours derived from mineral-based pigments on pottery since the 5th century BCE, the arrival of the Tang Chinese brought the painting medium of paper, styles such as shanshui (山水) painting, and the idea of the inclusion of literature in paintings. When a copy of Francisco Goya's painting "The Third of May 1808" arrived in Kazemostan in late 1815, it had a profound impact on Tabi'atstani art. Previously, paintings had been used by rulers and victors of conflicts as propaganda to exhibit their great achievements, whilst "The Third of May 1808" showed that painting could also be used to undermine authority. The painting was thus banned by the Kazemostani government, but it had a lasting effect on Tabi'atstani art from then on. After the Tabi'atstani Civil Wars and the establishment of the USSRT in 1925, Tabi'atstani artists were encouraged by the new communist government under Leonid Ushakov to experiment and go beyond established artistic norms. The constructivist art movement popular during the early days of the Soviet Union also gained traction in Tabi'atstan, and artists investigated the use of both the Art Deco and Modernist styles. In May 1933, President Farshid Khorosani formed the Society of Tabi'atstani Socialist Artists (STSA) to oversee the visual arts in the USSRT. Under his rule, the STSA did not function as an organ for repression or censorship, mainly acting as an organisation facilitating better communication between Tabi'atstani artists and encouraging experimentation into progressive art styles. After the rise to power of Saveli Lyudin, the STSA was transformed into an agency responsible for making sure Tabi'atstani visual artists toed the party line and strongly advocated the Socialist Realist style of art. In the post-Lyudin era, the STSA reduced its level of repression of non-state sponsored art movements, although it still strongly sympathised with cultural recommendations from the government. Architecture Tabi'atstani architecture displays a wide variety of different styles, both in structure and aesthetics. A trademark of Tabi'atstani architecture is the construction of vaults and domes. The Tabi'amard were some of the first in the Toy Islands to incorporate mathematics, astronomy, and geometry into their architecture. Literature Tabi'atstan has a rich literary history, and the country has been the birthplace of many famous poets. Stories were either transferred either orally, or were written on parchment made from animal skins. Due to excess humidity in the eastern jungle areas of the country which would cause parchment to revert to rawhide, eastern Tabi'atstanis preferred to use a medium similar to papyrus made from the pith of native plants. However, the two methods were very labour intensive, and required extensive hand-processing. The discovery of the Toy Islands in 941CE by the Chinese led to the introduction of paper to the region, allowing Tabi'atstani literature to reach a new golden age. It was in 963CE that the poet-author Bahamin wrote the Saqqaen Tales, a national epic which chronicles Tabi'atstani history and mythology and that is widely regarded as on of the country's most important pieces of poetry. In April 1933, the Federation of Socialist Writers (FSW) was formed to encourage Tabi'atstani writers to produce literature and texts promoting the lives and achievements of the working classes and the state, as well as to maintain control over writers in the USSRT. All Tabi'atstani writers who wish to have their works published in the USSRT must join the FSW. Philosophy Tabi'atstani philosophy is heavily influenced by the idea of an eternal cosmological battle between the forces of order and chaos, and can be traced back to Old Tabi'atstani philosophical traditions that were considerably influenced by the teachings of Shaduzolhanism. Following first contact with the world outside the Toy Islands, Tabi'atstani philosophy has been characterised by interactions with Old Tabi'atstani philosophy, Islamic philosophy, and Chinese philosophy. Mythology Tabi'atstani mythology encompasses the numerous gods of ancient Tabi'atstani religions, as well as the mythical heroes and events of ancient Tabi'atstani epics and other pieces of art and literature from the time. Tabi'atstani mythology serves a cosmological role as well as a religious one, as it seeks to explain how the universe was formed. Observances Although the USSRT is a secular country, many religious festivals such as Christmas are still celebrated and recognised as public holidays in the country. The most important holiday is May Day, when a large military parade is held in the capital, Qal'eh Manar. Tabi'atstan uses four calendar systems, these being the Gregorian calendar, the Persian calendar, the Islamic calendar, and the Chinese calendar. The Tabi'atstani working week lasts from Monday to Thursday, with Friday, Saturday, and Sunday comprising the weekend. This has varied throughout the history of the USSRT, with Saturday being removed from the weekend during certain periods of history, and in the present day, some organisations and companies require staff to work for half the day on Saturday, albeit with extra pay. During Ramadan, the maximum working hours per day is reduced to six hours from the regular eight hours. Theater Music and dance Traditional Tabi'atstani music dates back thousands of years and varies greatly across the country. Tabi'atstani classical music goes back to the formation of the first Tabi'atstani state in the 15th century BC. However, up until the formation of the USSRT, it was not available for public consumption and was generally restricted to being played in imperial courts around the country. On the other hand, folk music was widely played throughout the general populace, and many of the modal concepts in Tabi'atstani folk music are closely linked with Tabi'atstani classical music. In May 1933, following his “Progress for Revolutionary Arts and Creative Works” movement, President Farshid Khorosani created the Association of Socialist Realist Composers (ASRP). From then on, musicians had to conform to the style of Socialist Realism and had to represent "the glorious life of the workers of the great socialistic Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of Tabi'atstan", as well as having to praise the achievements of the state. Beginning in the late 1960s after President Lyudin's death, rock and pop music began to become popular in Tabi'atstan. However music from Western artists were mostly banned in the USSRT, and as such, many popular bands in Tabi'atstan originated from the former Eastern Bloc, although local artists existed as well. An example of a popular band in Tabi'atstan is "Display" (Дисплей), a Kiev band from the former Soviet Union. The Soviet artist Boris Tihomirov is also very popular in the USSRT, with his song "Electronic Alarm-Clock" (Электронный будильник) being a big hit when it was released in 1985. Despite the government ban, Western rock and pop music trickled into the country through illegal sales of casette tapes and CDs. It was not until 1987 that the general ban was lifted, and the USSRT began to open up culturally to the West, allowing an influx of Western popular music into the country. Although Western-influenced music has become more socially accepted and covered in the media, it is still occasionally discouraged by the government and the communist party, who have started numerous initiatives to promote traditional and patriotic music styles. A traditional Tabi'atstani musical instrument is the Ava-e Azar (Voice of Fire), which is a brass instrument. Other traditional instruments include the santur, NAME, and NAME. Cinema, animation and media The film industry was introduced to Tabi'atstan in 1902 when the imperial Kazemostani court imported motion picture equipment for use in recording official state gatherings. This is generally considered to be the begiining of Tabi'atstani cinema, although it was mainly for documenting events rather than for entertainement. By 1905, the first cinema in Tabi'atstan was opened in Farnavazebad. However, films did not really become popular until the communists came to power and united the Tabi'atstani continent into one state. Then Vice-President Farshid Khorosani recognised the value of using cinema and the media in indoctrinating the then largely illiterate masses of Tabi'atstan in Marxist ideology, and in August 1927 he asked President Leonid Sergeiyevich Ushakov to authorise the creation of the Union of Proletariat Directors (UPD). After this, the number of movie theaters in the country increased exponentially, and the government also set up mobile cinemas to travel to remote villages, allowing even poor peasants the chance to view films. Cuisine Tabi'atstani cuisine is highly varied, mirroring the diversity of the country's ethnicities, and the country's food draws on a long culinary history. Rice and bread are featured in many dishes, and are considered the country's main staple foods. Although rice is the main staple food, wheat is also quite common in the continental northwest of the country and the northern islands. Fruits (both fresh and dried) such as plums, pomegranate, and apricots are used alongside herbs, and spices also play a central role in Tabi'atstani cuisine. Each province has its own dishes and there are distinct regional culinary traditions and styles. Sports Tabi'atstan was invited to the Olympic Games for the 1948 Summer Olympics, but has never sent any atheletes to any of the Olympic Games, and since 1964 has disbanded its National Olympic Committee. It does, however, participate in the Toy Islands Regional Games. National symbols Category:States Category:Tabi'atstan Category:Alliance of Toy Islands